Many neighbors say the same thing: “Nothing works in Mount Vernon.”
My response is always the same: That is because Mount Vernon suffers from the government trifecta.
Let me explain.
There are three forces present, to some degree, in every government — local, state, or federal:
Dysfunction.
Incompetence.
Corruption.
No government is free from them entirely. And yet most governments still function.
Trash gets picked up. Permits get issued. Streetlights get fixed. Snow gets removed.
Why?
Because most governments can survive with one of those problems.
Some can even limp along with two.
But no government can operate effectively when all three take root at the same time.
That is The Trifecta. And when it sets in, residents start saying what we hear every day:
“Nothing works in Mount Vernon. Not the City, not the Library Board, not the School District.”
The Trifecta.
What the Trifecta Looks Like in Real Life
It doesn’t always look dramatic. Mostly, it looks administrative.
It looks like a family paying $150 through the City’s official Recreation system for a recess camp.
Receiving confirmation. Showing up at the Doles Center. And finding no camp.
Not once. Twice.
No clear cancellation notice. No automatic refund. No defined enrollment threshold. No transparent decision deadline. Then having to email multiple time to get a refund that should’ve been automatic.
Then, to get a refund, being sent nonsensical forms to complete requesting personal information—like Social Security numbers—that was not even required to book the camp in the first place.
That is dysfunction – that is a department with no operational controls.
And while “recess camp” might seem like a small thing, families rely on these programs for childcare during school breaks. They arrange work schedules. They plan their lives around what the City advertises.
So, when government treats public programs casually, residents pay the price. Literally.
Dysfunction Alone Is Annoying.
Incompetence Alone Is Embarrassing.
Corruption Alone Is Infuriating.
But when all three overlap, basic services stop working reliably.
Dysfunction means no clear workflow.
Incompetence means no one fixes it.
Corruption means no one is held accountable.
So what happens?
Programs get advertised without firm confirmation.
Money gets collected without clear safeguards.
Communication changes midstream.
Families show up to empty buildings.
And everyone shrugs and calls it “miscommunication.”
It isn’t.
It is structural decay.
Why Other Cities Don’t Collapse
Other municipalities deal with budget pressures.
They deal with politics.
They deal with personality conflicts.
But they install guardrails:
- Written policies and procedures, of which Mount Vernon has none
- Cancellation policies
- Defined enrollment minimums
- Automated refund systems
- Accountability chains
So even when one thing goes wrong, the system catches it.
That is how governments survive imperfection.
Mount Vernon has no guardrails.
This Is Why Reform Is Not Abstract
When people hear “government reform,” they think big theory. This isn’t theory.
It’s whether you have shit in your storm drains.
It’s whether you can get a permit in under a year.
It’s whether you can get an honest, legible, balanced budget on time.
It’s whether a streetlight at a major pedestrian and vehicle intersection gets fixed or stays broken for several years (Newsflash: it is still broken).
It’s whether you can get a FOIL response for basic records in under a year.
It’s whether your government openly and notoriously lies to you about things as basic as snow removal.
Or it can be as simple as whether you can rely on a City program you paid for.
When the trifecta takes hold, residents can expect none of these things. And they feel it in everyday life.
Not in speeches. In reality.
Reform NOW
Mount Vernon doesn’t suffer because of one bad day or one bad employee.
It suffers because dysfunction, incompetence, and lack of accountability are not isolated problems. They are the everyday. They are normalized. They are what defines this government administration. And corruption allows – even invites – this normalcy.
And when that happens, neighbors say the only phrase that fits: “Nothing works.”
But here is the truth:
Nothing works because the structure allows it not to.
When oversight is weak, dysfunction spreads.
When accountability is blurred, incompetence lingers.
When power is concentrated without guardrails, correction never comes, and corruption festers.
This is not about personalities. It is about systems.
And systems can be changed.
Real reform means installing structural guardrails:
• Clear lines of responsibility
• Professional management standards
• Defined workflows
• Automatic transparency
• Enforceable accountability
Mount Vernon does not need another apology for “miscommunication.”
It needs a government structure that makes incompetence harder and accountability unavoidable.
That is why reform cannot wait.
A group of residents is working to place structural reforms on the November 2026 ballot so voters — not insiders — can decide the future of this city.
You can review those proposed reforms at:
Because when the system is broken, the answer isn’t another excuse. It’s reform.
Reform NOW.